Well, we've made it back to MK! Fortunately, we don't have to choose
between JN's 'depth' & MK's 'straight-forwardness'. We have both in
our armoury.

It doesn't take much to imagine Mk's account here appearing in different
circumstances as a parable told about someone else by Jesus. Or is that
my imagination running riot? But we do need to exercise our own imagination
& stretch others'. Jesus is a great teacher not least because he is
able to invoke listeners' imagination when he tells them stories &
asks them questions. Preaching is a challenge to do the same. I'm not for
a moment questioning the reality of the incident on the lake - it's too
vivid for that - but the simple way MK relates the story opens it up to
reading in conjunction with all our own stories of storms, fears, &
faith. What happens on the lake back then is of little consequence to us
today if that's not true.

Is the central issue really the stilling of the storm, or the raising
of the question: Who is this? Mind you I suspect that if I were in the
boat, the central issue might be the calming of the storm until Jesus demonstrates
who he really is. And that seems to be the boat many of those to whom I
minister find themselves in. It's all very well for us to say that theologically
speaking, faith must come before proof, but when the boat is seemingly
sinking, the opposite, proof before faith, often seems to kick in. Jesus
doesn't deliberately precipitate this polarity by having a snooze (he must
have been exhausted after all the teaching he's just done!) but he certainly
fastens on what happens, as a good teacher does, to help the disciples
see things his way. And that's the name of the game: seeing things God's
way.

There's no snoozing time for God, ever. But many who feel they're being
buffeted by the many & varied storms of life see things like those
disciples. All that needs to happen is this fellow we say is God waking
up & doing something about our predicament. OK, so that's simplistic!
But so is the way many of us who are similarly 'of little faith' because
we're still in the process of becoming great- hearts, see & feel things.
What are we preachers to say to those who are 'fearing a great fear' that
will be a bit more help than theological correctness which might turn out
to be pious platitude? We can only answer that in relationship to the fears
our fellow rowers are revealing. Relationship isn't just a throwaway word
here, either. Out on the lake the disciples' relationship with Jesus is
still at a very formative stage. Is ours at a stage advanced enough to
relate meaningfully & compassionately to those who are afraid? Enough
to be able to live reassuringly? Enough to be a 'little Christ' or 'another
Christ' in their boat with them? Wide awake? That's often the way many
of those in our pastoral care become convinced that God isn't asleep, is
always at work in, & incredibly, in command of all life's storms, because
they see us trusting in such a One & making ourselves available through
Him
to still storms in the way most appropriate to their needs.